Text copyright © 2018 by Katerina Winters
All rights reserved
Cover Design by J. Herb
ISBN: 978-0-9981970-9-8
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the author, addressed “Attention: Permission Requested,” at the website below.
www.katerinawinters.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, organizations, actual events or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademark status of products referred to in this book and acknowledges that trademarks have been used without permission. This book is intended for mature, adult audiences only. This book is intended for those over the age of 18.
Back to Black
By: Katerina Winters
Table of contents:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Epilogue
Chapter 1
“Miss Pengram, please stay after class,” the rough-hewn voice cut easily through the noise of students getting their things to leave.
The response from her fellow classmates in her night class was mixed. Most ignored the tall professor’s summons, too busy focusing on getting their belongings and getting home for the night and some gave her mildly curious stares as they too, hurriedly departed. Bowing her head to hide her frown of disappointment, Everly closed her spiral notebook and stuck her pencil into the metal spring along the spine, before dropping the notebook into her messenger bag.
The last remaining students were walking out the door just as she approached the wooden podium where the professor stood. With a loud clunk, the thick metal door of their classroom slammed shut as the final student departed. The stadium seating class seemed cold and cavernous with only the pair of them standing on the empty stage.
“Miss Everly Pengram,” The dark-haired professor began, his rough-textured voice rumbled over her name like an old pickup truck driving down a gravel road. Keeping her eyes trained on the floor, Everly didn’t dare look up to the intimidating man. “I was able to get a copy of your graded tests from my predecessor, Mrs. Hornsby, which is why,” he paused a moment, grabbing something from the top of the podium. “I am assigning you extra work.”
Shocked she pulled her gaze from the spot on the floor and met the chilling dark blue eyes of her professor. Dr. R. H. Black was the substitute teacher the college brought in weeks ago when the previous calculus professor Mrs. Hornsby’s husband got called away for work, forcing her to take a leave of absence to care for their small children while he was gone. Truthfully, Everly found the giant man frightening and would much rather have Mrs. Hornsby back. Quiet and stern he was the complete opposite from the warm cheerful Mrs. Hornsby.
Dark, glacial blue eyes stared at her as he handed her the yellow slip of paper, giving her a look that seemed as if he was almost satisfied she was forced to meet his gaze as she accepted the assignment. Opening her mouth, she wanted to argue that she would be better prepared for the next test but her words died on her tongue as she glimpsed his expectant gaze. Everly knew that look, she had seen it enough times in class as he verbally decimated any student who tried to question or challenge him in any way during his lectures. Standing tall and calm he simply stared down at her waiting patiently for her to dare argue, eyeing her hesitation but ready to strike. Pressing her lips together, she turned her gaze away again, to stare at the far wall over his shoulder as she nodded and accepted the slip of paper.
“Is that all?” She asked politely still not making eye contact, wanting to be able to escape the tension he was creating. Subconsciously she put her hand on the small bump on her stomach.
There was a pause of silence that stretched between them that almost pulled her gaze back to his. Thankfully he finally spoke, “I will walk you out.”
She preferred he didn’t, but she was far too cowardly to say it. Pulling her pink winter cap over her thick black curls she waited anxiously by the door as he pulled on his own expensive black winter jacket over his broad shoulders. Well, she thought, if she did ever feel uncomfortable walking to her car at night she knew she would be safe tonight. The large six-foot four man walking beside her with his natural fierce expression would surely send any predator, man, or animal running with his tail between his legs.
Biting Colorado wind whipped around them as they stepped through the exit glass doors heading towards the now barren campus parking lot. With her hands tucked deep into her pockets and her chin down, Everly snuck a glance at the man walking next to her. She could still vividly remember the day he walked into class, his piercing gaze finding hers immediately in the crowd before introducing himself to the class. Firm set lips and narrow eyes that framed his astute hard gaze, the tall imposing man immediately raised the female pheromones in the class at his arrival. Everly could clearly overhear the women “oohing” and “awing” over his scruffy brown beard or their whispered examinations of his assumed physique under his conservative black dress shirt and dark jeans.
Why didn’t anyone see what she was seeing? When she looked at the man all she saw was the heart and soul of a domineering man. Forceful and imposing, Mr. Black looked like the type of man that would take everything she had to offer without hesitation, command it from her even. She hated that, she had enough of giving herself completely, she wanted nothing to do with someone else who wanted more—her life was tumultuous enough.
The cold wet sprinkling of moisture on her nose was her only warning of the change in weather. As quickly as it started the light cold sprinkles transformed into fat droplets of freezing rain.
“Fuck,” Mr. Black cursed sharply beside her.
Wanting to look up through the rain to see what happened, Everly was shocked when he grabbed her and pulled her close. Using one arm to lift one panel of his jacket over her head he used his other hand to forcibly tug her along at his quick pace. Stopping in front of her red hatchback, he took the keys from her gloved hands as he kept her crowded close under his jacket.
“Sir,” she gasped over the blistering cold rain, still a little out of breath from their sudden run. “Sir, this isn’t necessary.”
Opening the car door with a jerk, Mr. Black ignored her as he pushed her to get into the driver seat. Still using his jacket like a shield in the doorway of her car he looked down at her and gave her a fierce look.
“It’s very much necessary since you’re pregnant and you are only wearing a cheap flannel jacket in this weather,” his voice snapped harshly.
Everly’s first instinct was to shrink back, to just endure the burning anger she could see on his hard face, but she reminded herself that she had to change that about herself. Opening her mouth, she prepared to argue back with him but the firm grip he placed on her cheek stopped the words immediately.
Firmly, but not painfully, he held her chin in the palm of h
is hand while his thumb and finger pressed her cheeks inward.
“Don’t argue with me Everly, just go home and take a hot shower,” he commanded brusquely before stepping back and firmly shutting the car door.
Watching him walk to his large dark SUV, Everly pursed her lips in dissatisfaction as she obediently drove away.
It was his rain streaked face that haunted her later as she stepped out of her steaming bathroom from the shower. Shaking her head, she tried to dispel the image of her teachers hardened face or the hot feeling of his rough hand on her face that still felt imprinted on her skin. How did he even know she was pregnant anyways? She was not even four months yet and hardly showing. Biting her lip in thought she tried to think of all the people at the college she knew well enough to know her condition. There was her academic counselor of course and a couple of girls in her class that were mothers that she could occasionally talk to for advice. Maybe that was how he found out, she rationalized, he overheard her talking to the other students.
Grabbing her robe off the small bed she looked around the equally small studio apartment. With only a half-wall that separated her tiny bedroom area from the even tinier living space, she could still vividly recall the day when she moved in a few months ago. Looking at her suitcase on the floor in the closet and her laptop on her bed, she realized absolutely nothing has changed from that day appearance wise. No decorations, no clothes in the drawers, no changes at all just her simply living in the space. It wasn’t that she didn’t like it, she liked it a lot actually it wasn’t too big or too small and it was all her own. She just couldn’t get comfortable yet. There had been too many changes and upsets in her life recently and she just could not trust the comfort, not quite yet. Although it was a blessing to find an affordable already furnished apartment, especially in a thriving ski town like Golden Creek, Colorado. Finding a college that would accept her scholarship midway through term certainly wasn’t easy, neither was finding a new job. But thankfully the Internet was an amazing thing, through countless sites she was able to apply and obtain a job at the downtown bank.
Her life was slowly getting back on track.
Stepping in front of the full-length mirror Everly untied the robe letting it hang open to either side. Turning to the side she stared at her tiny growing belly. The familiar mixture of excitement and pain flooded her as she examined her slowly changing body.
Two years. It’d only been two years since she had left home and look where she was now. Practically word for word on target according to her mother’s venomous prediction. Lied to and taken advantage of by a man she trusted too naïvely. Forced to leave town and change colleges with only three thousand dollars to her name and a beat-up car.
Using the lotion she had sitting next to the mirror, she rubbed the cool cream over her stomach. Long black untamable curly hair, a rather long oval face, and plain brown oval-shaped eyes, everything added up to average. Average looks, average height and an average personality; facts her father made sure to remind her of when she left their family that day two years ago. She was naïve and for all intents and purposes new to the world and she had already made one very costly mistake. But Everly was hopeful—she had to be. Looking back up to her profile she smiled softly.
“Don’t worry little one, everything will work out eventually,” the words she knew, were far more for her sake than anything. “We will find our own place in this life together.”
Chapter 2
Carefully walking under the construction scaffolding towards the break room, Everly turned to catch a glance at the large foyer’s progress. The First National Golden Bank was one of the oldest buildings in the whole state of Colorado and certainly the most beautiful. The decadent Beaux art style building with its tall arches, stained glass windows, and heavily ornate carved pillars, the building looked like a palace rather than a bank. The harsh cacophony of noise from the construction crew bounced off the large foyer’s domed ceiling reminding not only the employees but the bank’s affluent patrons daily of the ongoing and seemingly everlasting construction.
Pausing at the break room doorway, Everly heard the raised voices coming from the manager’s office down the hallway. Looking around, she made sure no one else was around as she curiously strained to hear the voices.
The sound of the office door opening startled her as she watched a familiar friendly face walk through the doorway followed by the head foreman of the restoration project and lastly her manager. Ducking further into the doorway to the break room Everly watched as her nitpicky boss tried to argue with the exasperated looking foreman to make his crew work more quietly. The tallest one of the three stood silently off to the side with his arms crossed leaning on a nearby wall in a show of obvious disinterest, catching her curious gaze down the hall he gave her a sly wink. Embarrassed at being caught eavesdropping Everly quickly dashed inside the break room.
Sitting down at the empty roundtable in the corner of the room Everly pulled out her sandwich from the plain brown paper bag. The sound of footsteps caused her to look up just as she was taking a bite to see two of the morning shift bank tellers walking in laughing.
“Hi Everly, how’s it going?” Katie, the tall platinum blonde, asked with her usual stunning smile as she opened the fridge and grabbed a water.
The chipper greeting was very poorly timed. By the time Everly was able to swallow the food in her mouth with the help of a gulp of water the two girls had already turned around and resumed talking as they walked back out of the break room.
Groaning, Everly leaned her chin on her palm and toyed with her small Ziploc bag of baby carrots. Everly was slowly starting to realize one important life fact, there would always be two types of women in this world—Katie Goshhornes and not Katie Goshhornes. Tall, beautiful, and sweet as sugar, Katie was the envy of everyone in the small town. While Katie could effortlessly talk to anyone she liked, Everly couldn’t even swallow her turkey sandwich in time to choke out a hello.
“Mmm, carrots,” the deep playful voice brought her attention up to see the same tall construction worker from earlier, stealing one of her carrots. Popping the orange stick in his mouth, he grabbed a nearby chair and sat down with an exaggerated sigh as he gave her a large smile. “How is my favorite mother-to-be?”
Looking down at her lunch Everly nervously fiddled with a carrot in her fingers as she gave a quiet “fine,” in return.
Ever since she was hired on at the bank as the main payroll clerk, the bank had been undergoing construction and every day she encountered the blue-eyed devil, Zane. Devilish was one of the various descriptions she had overheard other female staff whisper in passing about the blonde construction worker, but Devil seemed so much more apt in Everly’s mind. The tall muscular blonde was temptation incarnate, and he knew it too. Every female in shouting distance vied for the man’s attention whether it be employee or customer. Everly had once overheard a girl saying that some women started stopping by the bank just to see the handsome blue-eyed construction worker whether they actually needed something from the bank or not.
Reaching to grab another carrot, she let out a tiny cry of surprise when it was snatched from her grasp. Shocked she looked up to the smirking man who ate her carrot unapologetically.
“Now Everly,” he began in a teasing hurt tone. “After all this time you’re still going to act shy with me?”
Knowing from past experience that he would only tease her more if she didn’t comply Everly looked up and gave him a small smile.
“Aww that’s better,” Zane purred as he grabbed another carrot for himself. “Now let’s start over. How is my favorite little mother-to-be?”
“Fine, just trying to get my vitamin A before someone steals it all.” She mumbled accusingly, pulling her Ziploc bag of remaining carrots closer.
Letting out a deep laugh that made his blue eyes sparkle somehow even brighter than normal, Zane leaned back in his chair, stretching out his long legs around her chair.
“Okay, I wo
n’t take anything else—for now,” lifting his eyebrows in a suggestive arch, he laughed again when she promptly turned her head away at his sinful teasing.
She was never good at flirting, nor did she suspect she ever would be, but she did know she was completely out of her league to try it now with this man.
“So, tell me how are your business management classes going?” The snide tone in which he asked was purposeful, she knew.
Out of everyone in the world, Zane was one of the two people that knew she had switched her major to business management from illustration when she moved to Golden Creek. And both people hated her decision. Since moving here, she had not had the opportunity to meet any new friends nor the inclination if she was being truly honest with herself. The pain she was carrying in her heart was still too raw, she was still trying to start over and make a fresh start for herself—and her baby. If it weren’t for Zane’s daily persistent pestering, she would never have told him about her change in majors in the first place.
“It’s fine, classes are going okay,” she answered, trying to inject convincing positivity in her voice.
“Mmmm, sure they are,” narrowing his bright blue eyes at her, Zane just stared for a moment as if assessing her before continuing, this time with a growing mischievous grin. “How’s the grouchy old math teacher you mentioned?”
Back to Black: A captive ménage romance Page 1
